Feisty Catherine Butler, doomed to marry pious, plain old boring Walter, will lose her dream of traveling to Italy. Until just days before her wedding, a handsome, Italian tinker man, Antonio arrives in her small Ohio town. When the traveler is arrested and must work his fine off at her family's farm, Catherine hatches a plot to escape her fate. Ah, but only if the tinker man agrees. Language barriers lead to misunderstandings. Farm chores and family feuding drive poor Antonio to near madness. He dreams of freedom, to leave with his wagon and his faithful horse, Santos. While Catherine plots her escape, with or without his help.